


to the end of the world

by Aurelius au Fabii (regionalsky)



Category: Red Rising Trilogy - Pierce Brown
Genre: Dassius, M/M, Yikes, because we all know that he is happiest at darrow's side, btw Cassius still doesn't know THE SECRET, but for the sake of literature we are going to pretend, dassius is my new otp, everyone is happy, everyone loves Darrow, gentle smut, getting to know how these boys flirt and fuck, honestly how is there not a tag for their relationship, it's great, oh boy this is fun, ok also so technically, sevro is still wanking off in the bushes, that he is just at the castle happy with everyone else, they have a heart to heart, they're in the institute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 18:03:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14920265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regionalsky/pseuds/Aurelius%20au%20Fabii
Summary: Darrow grinned.No. Stop. For fuck's sake, he was Cassius au Bellona. He'd bedded more girls than Sevro had ever seen- and yet, he couldn't stop shivers from running up his spine.





	to the end of the world

**Author's Note:**

> hey howlers,  
> this is my first leap into red rising fic. I have so many ideas boiling in my mind, and I'm excited to share them with you.  
> this'll be the first of many exploring the thinly veiled sexual tension between cassius and darrow, which, by the way, needs to have an official ship name.  
> please comment your thoughts! I'd love to hear 'em.

They needed more water and firewood in the castle. His horse, Bucephalus, had started limping after stepping on a sharp stone. His hair was getting annoyingly long. And Sevro, the gorydamn bastard, wouldn't stop giving him the  _ look _ .

It was as if he knew. Cassius had tried to avoid being obvious, but of course the little shit wouldn't let it go. He definitely knew.

He knew what Cassius was staring at when they carried the troughs of water through the stone gates of the keep, where his eyes were drawn when they were gathered around the table to strategize. Sevro had seen who Cassius edged close to, who he held back for a moment of private conversation whenever he could think of an excuse. He knew who Cassius couldn't stop himself from looking at across the fire, light flickering off his teeth as he laughed.

It was stupid. It was so idiotic that Cassius wouldn't allow himself to even consider the possibility- yet, here he was, imagining his own name slipping from the boy's lips as he groaned, blonde hair tangled in his rough hands-

"Cass!" Darrow called, voice high in laughter. "My goodman, Roque- Roque here has a proposition."

"And what is that, my goodman?" Cassius asked, standing. Ignoring Sevro's knowing glare, he let a wide grin spread across his face. 

"Come here, come here," Darrow beckoned to him, golden hair damp against his forehead as he laughed, clutching his stomach. Making his way through their friends scattered around the fire, Cassius felt excitement grow in his chest. 

"Let me- okay, hold on, sit here." Darrow moved over on the stump he was sitting, allowing Cassius to slide next to him.

Shit, Cassius liked the idea of pressing against Darrow too much. Too much. He shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts that crept from the back of his mind. 

Darrow's attention had turned back to Roque, who'd floated towards Lyla and Sevro's side of the fire. "Darrow!" Cassius said, laughing. "What's this proposition you were going to offer me?"

"You'll see," he answered without taking his eyes off of Roque.

"What," Cassius threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "You two want me to fuck Sevro or something? I'm honestly at a loss."

The corner of Darrow's mouth twisted up in a smile. 

He couldn't stop himself from staring at the dimple that formed on Darrow's right cheek, couldn't stop his palms pricking with sweat. He shook his head. No. 

For fuck's sake, he was Cassius au  _ Bellona _ . He'd bedded more girls than Sevro had ever seen- and yet, he couldn't stop shivers from running up his spine. 

Darrow smelled like he always did- the iron of the reaper's scythe always by his side, the dirt of the soil he rubbed in between his fingers, the lye soap he scoured the blood out from under his fingernails with. Kneeling in the cold mud of the riverbank, Darrow always scrubbed until every fleck of blood was gone, biting his lip. Cassius had always marveled at that, crouched further up the river out of sight. Their leader, the fearless Reaper, kneeling at the river's edge- surely he wasn't remorseful over the enemies he'd slain? More likely, it was over the friends he'd lost, lives he'd blame himself for. Only Darrow would blame himself for his friend's mistakes.

"Cassius, you prime?" Darrow asked, elbowing him. 

He jerked to attention, eyes snapping back into focus. Their entire group around the fire burst into laughter with Roque as the center of attention, looking embarrassed but pleased. Cassius relaxed, knowing the attention wasn't on him. No one had noticed him zoning out.

"Hey," Darrow said, laying a hand on Cassius's forearm. "Everything fine?"

"Everything's fine," Cassius mumbled, trying not to jump at the touch. "Everything's fine," he said again, turning and grinning. "Just a bit tired."

"We hauled a fine ton of water today," Darrow laughed, light from the fire dancing in his eyes. "I'll be sore for ages."

"Me too," Cassius agreed. The group around them burst into laughter- even Sevro, who watched him with narrowed eyes. 

He almost drifted back into thought before Darrow spoke again. "You know, I've been meaning to thank you."

Surprise jumped through Cassius. "For what?"

"Following me," Darrow said simply. "Look, brother, I know it isn't easy for you to follow. You're au Bellona, for chrissakes. I'm au Andromeda. A nobody. You just-" he paused, biting his lip, "you just know what's best for House Mars. You know that they, I mean-"

"They'd follow you to the end of the world," Cassius finished, tilting his head towards their laughing friends. "They trust you with their lives. So I-"

"You hold us together, yes." Darrow nodded, looking down before meeting his eyes again. "Cassius, my goodman, you have the full power to tear us apart, and I know that. You know that. But you let me lead, and you follow closer than any of the rest of them, without question. You're-" Darrow paused before gripping Cassius' forearm again. "I'm proud to call you my brother."

"And- and me as well, brother," Cassius whispered, his voice husky. "You fit better than Julian, bless him, ever did by my side."

Darrow's eyes lept in fear, but he quickly subdued it. Cassius barely saw it. Questions burned in the back of his mind, but no. It had to be how close they were to each other, the electricity that buzzed between them, under his fingers. 

Six inches. That was all that separated his lips from Darrow's, outlined in the shadows of the night. It wouldn't even be hard- he'd kissed other boys before, he knew how foreign their mouths could feel- but a wall held him back. Maybe it was their friends, maybe it was the breath of wind that knocked his resolve down. But he knew he couldn't do it, not just yet. Not there. 

Before the moment could get to his head, before blood could rush to his cheeks as it always did, he turned his head and rose to his feet. 

"Goodnight, brother," he said, taking a deep breath. "I'll see you in the morning." 

Darrow's eyes reached to his, full of questions. Why was he leaving? Where was his mind? Why wasn't he staying?

He seemed to internally shove them down and responded with a gentle smile. "Tomorrow, friend."

Cassius nodded, then turned to the shadows. The heat of the fire touched his back as he walked towards the heavy wooden doors, acutely aware of two sets of eyes on his back. One gently concerned, seeking to help.

The other, fucking  _ Sevro _ . 


End file.
